LL Doesn't Care

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by asdf

I don't even give them credit for instituting rules to protect their bodies.

Well - who did then?

[kylejt]

My league went in '05, and the kids were kept up to speed on their homework at night. I think they missed the first couple weeks, and a day here and there for local events. (Padres games, Chargers games, Angels games, parades, Upper Deck cards, TV, radio, etc.). Five years later, and they're still getting girls over it. But for that year, they were rock stars, and the schools helped them with their work. It was good pub for the city, and the league has done really well since.

[johnnyg08]

They'll learn far more with this experience than they ever will in any 6th grade classroom for two weeks. Take it to the bank. Ask any one of those LLWS kids in thirty years what they remembered about 2010...and what they remembered in the classroom in 2010-2011. What answers do you think you'll receive?

[MD Longhorn]

All right, everyone. Admit you teared up seeing that kid's face from Washington being brought into pitch. Just a little.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

They'll learn far more with this experience than they ever will in any 6th grade classroom for two weeks. Take it to the bank. Ask any one of those LLWS kids in thirty years what they remembered about 2010...and what they remembered in the classroom in 2010-2011. What answers do you think you'll receive?

I remember the death of a close friend in 1993 anything more than the school year after. Doesn't mean it was more beneficial.

[johnnyg08]

Originally Posted by Matt

I remember the death of a close friend in 1993 anything more than the school year after. Doesn't mean it was more beneficial.

I guess my point is that sometimes the memory is more important.

Two weeks of school for any of these kids isn't going to make or break their future endeavors.

[GoodwillRef]

Little League has way to many kids crying...there no crying in baseball (unless you are a Little League pitcher and you just gave up a homerun on ESPN)!

[johnnyg08]

What's nice is you can watch the replays of the crying over and over again, just to make sure they actually are crying.

[asdf]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

Well - who did then?

Pitch counts are useless if you don't ban curve balls at this age.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by asdf

Pitch counts are useless if you don't ban curve balls at this age.

And you got your MD degree and orthopedic certitfication where?

The reports and studies from the medical community are not fully completed but the preliminary findings are that it's overuse and fatigue that are the problem. Seek them out yourself.

In the meantime, who invented the batting helmet? Who requires breakaway bases? Who was first to require ear coverage on catcher's helmets? Who banned head first slides while advancing? Who requires fencing in front of dugouts? Who requires background checks? Who prohibits on deck batters, including swinging the bat before going to the plate? Who has lighting standards for lighted fields?

[asdf]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

And you got your MD degree and orthopedic certitfication where?

The reports and studies from the medical community are not fully completed but the preliminary findings are that it's overuse and fatigue that are the problem. Seek them out yourself.

In the meantime, who invented the batting helmet? Who requires breakaway bases? Who was first to require ear coverage on catcher's helmets? Who banned head first slides while advancing? Who requires fencing in front of dugouts? Who requires background checks? Who prohibits on deck batters, including swinging the bat before going to the plate? Who has lighting standards for lighted fields?

Sorry Dr. Ives, how ignorant of me to have an opinion on this matter sans an MD degree / orthopedic certification.

1) Find me a study that indisputable proves that throwing curveballs prior to age 14 does no damage to an arm. I'll help you with this.....there isn't one. But that's ok, we'll risk blowing a ligament on Bert Blyleven Jr.'s 12 year old arm because having him throw all those sweepers to the other 12 year olds will certainly lock up that scholly to LSU in 5 years, or for that matter, insure that high draft pick and weekly visits from Scott Boras.

My opinion is my own, backed up by personal experience and shared by Dr. James Andrews. (I think he meets your criteria listed above)

2) The batting helmet was invented and first used in 1905. Not sure what that has to do with Little League.

3) The other items you refer to are not exclusive to Little League. As a side note to that, I find it odd that after 85 pitches, they will allow for the pitcher to go to 3rd, SS, or the OF....... yet they had to create a "special pinch runner" so they can participate more than the "minumum".

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by asdf

Sorry Dr. Ives, how ignorant of me to have an opinion on this matter sans an MD degree / orthopedic certification.

1) Find me a study that indisputable proves that throwing curveballs prior to age 14 does no damage to an arm. I'll help you with this.....there isn't one. But that's ok, we'll risk blowing a ligament on Bert Blyleven Jr.'s 12 year old arm because having him throw all those sweepers to the other 12 year olds will certainly lock up that scholly to LSU in 5 years, or for that matter, insure that high draft pick and weekly visits from Scott Boras.

My opinion is my own, backed up by personal experience and shared by Dr. James Andrews. (I think he meets your criteria listed above)

2) The batting helmet was invented and first used in 1905. Not sure what that has to do with Little League.

3) The other items you refer to are not exclusive to Little League. As a side note to that, I find it odd that after 85 pitches, they will allow for the pitcher to go to 3rd, SS, or the OF....... yet they had to create a "special pinch runner" so they can participate more than the "minumum".

Show me where I said there was proof.

Dr Andrews is LL's primary consultant. He's doing their pitch-count promo during the LLWS. Strange he hasn't asked them to ban curveballs.

Watch these:

The Experts Speak

You'll hear them refer to Dr Hale. Read this:

The modern plastic double earflap batting helmet was invented by Creighton Hale of LL. PROFILE: Creighton J. Hale

[asdf]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

Show me where I said there was proof.

Dr Andrews is LL's primary consultant. He's doing their pitch-count promo during the LLWS. Strange he hasn't asked them to ban curveballs.

Watch these:

The Experts Speak

You'll hear them refer to Dr Hale. Read this:

The modern plastic double earflap batting helmet was invented by Creighton Hale of LL. PROFILE: Creighton J. Hale

Dr James Andrews.....

"My thought on it is you shouldn't throw a curveball until you can shave."

Not many kids out there who shave at age 12...

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by asdf

Dr James Andrews.....

"My thought on it is you shouldn't throw a curveball until you can shave."

Not many kids out there who shave at age 12...

But he didn't ask them to ban curveballs (yet) because it's his opinion, not yet backed by reasonable evidence - and he knows it. That's why the studies are continuing.

So far, overuse and fatigue correlate to more damage. Curves don't so far.

But why let science get in the way if opinion? Legend has it that a state legislature once wanted to repeal the law of gravity. People once swore a curve ball doesn't curve.

Some hypotheses turn out to be true, others false. The jury is still out here.

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

Show me where I said there was proof.

Dr Andrews is LL's primary consultant. He's doing their pitch-count promo during the LLWS. Strange he hasn't asked them to ban curveballs.

Watch these:

The Experts Speak

You'll hear them refer to Dr Hale. Read this:

The modern plastic double earflap batting helmet was invented by Creighton Hale of LL. PROFILE: Creighton J. Hale

Rich:
I think Andrews kind of speaks out of both sides of his mouth in that video, and in doing so, makes a case for both your and adf's position on the subject.
1) At one point he says "we have nothing against the curveball."
2) Further into the presentation, there's a chart that indicates a pitcher should not throw a curve until age 14.
3) Throughout the presentation he does emphatically shout out the dangers of overuse being a a major culprit in the cause of UCL injuries.